Corner toilet for rats: a fixed toilet corner in the enclosure

Rats are clean animals. They groom themselves and each other extensively, and most rats choose one or two fixed corners to do their business all by themselves. You can make clever use of that. Put a corner toilet with a highly absorbent filling in that spot, and a large part of the droppings and urine ends up in a tray that you can clean out quickly. The rest of the enclosure stays dry and fresh for longer.

In this category you will find corner toilets that attach to the cage with hooks, a scoop for cleaning the tray and filling in the form of paper pellets and cotton pellets. If you combine the litter tray with low-dust Zooply bedding in the rest of the enclosure, you have a complete and fresh set-up. Zooply is our own premium brand, which we use every day in our own shop and breeding facility.

In short

• ✓ Put the corner toilet in the corner where your rats already pee and poo the most.
• ✓ Fill the tray with highly absorbent, low-dust pellets; no clumping cat litter.
• ✓ Put a few droppings in the tray, so your rats understand more quickly what it is for.
• ✓ Clean the tray often, ideally a little every day and completely every week.
• ✓ Do not expect a hundred per cent: rats also mark outside the tray with small drops.

What will you find in the Toilet Pellets & Corner Toilets category?

Corner toilets for rats

The grey Corner toilet with fixing hooks for rats and ferrets measures 35 × 24 × 19 cm. The triangular shape fits neatly into a corner of the cage, and with the hooks you hang the tray on the bars so it does not slide or tip over. The green Zolux Neolife corner toilet is a larger model of 42 × 31 × 21 cm, also intended for rats and ferrets. Choose the larger model if you have a group of rats or if your rats are big and heavy; then they can turn around in it easily.

This category also contains a Corner toilet with fixing hooks for rabbits of 49.5 × 34 × 26 cm. It is designed for rabbits. It can also be used in a large rat cage with plenty of floor space, but for most rat enclosures one of the two rat models is a better fit.

Toilet filling: paper pellets and cotton pellets

The Back-2-Nature paper pellets are made from more than 99% recycled paper, without added chemicals. They come in 20 litres and 30 litres. The Cotton pellets from Natural Pet Brand are pressed cotton fibres which, according to the product information, absorb well and are low in dust, in 20 litres and 40 litres. Pellets are more compact than loose fibres or shreds. They absorb a lot of moisture on a small surface, which makes them ideal for a litter tray.

Litter scoop

With the green Beeztees litter scoop you can quickly remove droppings and wet pellets from the corner tray without having to replace all the filling. Handy for the daily round.

How to teach your rats to use a corner toilet

Start by observing. Which corner do your rats already use as a toilet? Often it is a corner on the floor, but it can also be a corner on a level or under a hammock. Hang the corner toilet exactly there. Rats follow their own scent, so it helps to put a few droppings and a little wet bedding from the old toilet corner into the new tray.

Then clean the rest of the enclosure thoroughly, so the old toilet spots no longer smell of urine. If you see a rat pooing outside the tray, pick up the dropping and put it in the litter tray. Repeat this consistently for the first few weeks. Some rats get it within a few days, others need a few weeks. Young rats often learn it quickly from the older members of the group.

If you have an enclosure with several levels or a group of four or more rats, consider a second toilet. Rats do not always go all the way down to do their business. A second tray on a level they use a lot can make a big difference.

Also think of older rats. Later in life many rats become less mobile and sometimes have trouble with high rims and steep climbing routes. In that case hang the toilet so that the entry is low and the tray stays easy to reach, for example on the floor instead of on a high level. That way an older rat will keep using the tray as normal.

What you can and cannot expect

A litter tray saves a lot of work, but does not make the rest of the bedding unnecessary. Rats, and males in particular, mark their surroundings with small drops of urine. They do this while walking around, on levels, in hammocks and sometimes on your hand too. That is normal communication behaviour and not a sign that the training has failed. What you achieve with a litter tray is that the large puddles and most of the droppings end up in one place.

If a rat uses the tray as a sleeping spot instead, the tray is often too big or placed too quietly compared to the other sleeping spots. Provide enough attractive sleeping spots elsewhere, such as hammocks and houses, and keep the tray clean. A clean, dry tray with pellets can sometimes be an inviting place to lie down for a rat.

Which filling should you use in the litter tray?

Use a filling that absorbs well, gives off little dust and has no added scent. Paper pellets and cotton pellets are well suited to this. Do not use clumping cat litter made of clay or bentonite. It is dusty, and if a rat swallows it or it sticks to the coat, it can cause problems. Scented pellets are not a good idea for rats' sensitive airways either.

If you prefer the same type as in the rest of the enclosure, an absorbent type such as Zooply Hemp Fibre also works in a litter tray. A layer of a few centimetres of pellets is enough; the tray does not need to be filled to the brim.

Cleaning the corner toilet

Scoop the droppings and wet pellets out of the tray every day and top up with a little fresh filling. Once a week, or more often with a large group, empty the tray completely. Rinse it with warm water and clean it with a mild, harmless cleaner or a little vinegar diluted with water. Rinse well and let the tray dry before refilling it. Put a few droppings back, so the scent stays familiar.

Urine scale builds up in corners and edges over time. With diluted vinegar and a brush, you can usually remove it well. If a lasting smell has settled into the plastic after a while, it is time for a new tray.

Useful combinations

A corner toilet works best as part of a well-equipped enclosure:

• Bedding: low-dust Zooply bedding for the rest of the enclosure.
• Nesting material: a dry sleeping nest in a different spot from the litter tray.
• Hammocks & hanging bridges: attractive sleeping spots, so your rats do not lie down in the tray.
• Cages: a spacious cage with enough room for one or two corner toilets.

Frequently asked questions about toilet pellets and corner toilets for rats

Can rats really be litter trained?

Rats can learn well to use a fixed toilet spot, certainly for their droppings. They usually do not become fully litter trained like a cat, because they also mark with small drops of urine. With a well-placed corner toilet, though, most of it ends up in one place, and that saves a lot of cleaning.

Which corner toilet suits rats best?

For two or three rats, the 35 × 24 × 19 cm corner toilet for rats and ferrets usually fits well. If you have a larger group or big bucks, choose the 42 × 31 × 21 cm Zolux Neolife corner toilet. Always measure the corner and the door opening of your cage first, so you know for sure that the tray fits and that you can take it out easily.

Can I use cat litter?

Preferably not. Clumping cat litter is dusty and can form clumps in the coat or, if swallowed, in the stomach. Choose a filling intended for rodents, such as paper pellets or cotton pellets.

My rats pee next to the tray. What am I doing wrong?

Often the tray is not exactly in the favourite corner, or it is not clean enough. See where the wet patches accumulate and move the tray there. Clean old spots thoroughly and put droppings in the tray. With a group, a second tray on another level can help.

How often should I change the toilet pellets?

Scoop out the droppings and wet pellets daily and replace all the filling at least once a week. If the tray starts smelling of ammonia sooner, clean it more often. Ammonia is bad for your rats' airways.

Can I also use the pellets as bedding for the whole cage?

You can; paper pellets and cotton pellets are also intended as bedding. For the whole enclosure, though, many rats find a softer floor more pleasant to walk on and root around in, such as Zooply Cotton Fibre or Cardboard Shreds. In that case use the pellets mainly in the litter tray.

Buying a corner toilet for rats at Knaagplaza

At Knaagplaza, the webshop of 't Knaagplein, you will find corner toilets and filling that make it easier to keep the rat enclosure clean. Combine a well-placed corner toilet with low-dust Zooply bedding, our own premium brand that we use every day for our own animals, and your rats will live in a dry and fresh enclosure.